Automatic feed control



Dec. 26, 1922.

G. C. STACY.

AUTOMATIC FEED CONTROL.

FILED JAN-22,1921

Patented Dec. 2id, lZE.

Cel,

GROVER C. STAGY, 03?' D ltLLl-llsy TEXAS.

AUTTJIATL'C FEED CONTROL.

Application filed January 2Q, 1921. Serial lT'o. 439,239.

To all lzii/0m may concern:

lle Vit known that l. ilnm'nn t'. citizen of the United States7 residinga las. in the county ot' Dallas and State ot' Texas.. have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in ..liutoniatic Feed Controls, oi'1which the 'followingl is a speciiication.

rlhis invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatict'eed controls.

ln the teeding of eottonthru an air conduit to a cotton cleaner or otherpreliminary handling; machine, .it vfrequently occurs that the machineeither stops or slows down so that it becomes choked with cotton, as theperson :feeding the cotton into the conduit is not avare that themachine has stopped or slowed down. Suchen occurrence causes a greatdelay as the machine must be cleaned out before operation can beresumed.

The object oi my invention is to provide an automatic cut @if in thecotton conduit or fluo controlled and operated by means ot` a governorwhich is revolved by one oit the shafts ot the cotton cleaner or othermachine; and wherebyv a. cotton cleaning tlue will be closed by means ofa suitable valve or the like when the speed ot the governor is reducedto such a pointas to operate said valve.

A. construction designed to carry out thek invention will bc hereinatterdescribed to- `a'ether with other` 'features of the invention.

The invention will be more readil)v linderstood `from a readingl of the,liollowinpg speci- `{ication and by reference to the accompanyingdrawings. in which an example ol" the invention is shown and whereinFig. 1 is a plan view ot a deviceconstructed in accordance with vmyinvention,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the valve mechanism,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional detail ot the governor collar mechanism7Fig. 4l is a cross sectional detail on the line 4faot Fig. i, and

Fig. 5 is a` longitudinal sectional detail ot. the sliding` collar otthe Agovernor.

ln the drawings the numeral 10 designates a revolvingshaft which may bepart of a cotton cleaner or other machine, which shaft is revolved whenthe machine is operated. l mount a governor on this shait whichcomprises a collar ll suitably fastened on the shaft and a sleeve l2slidable on said sha-it toward the collar 11, and being limited in suchsliding movement by a collar 13 ad-- justabl;7 fastened on the-shaft. Apair ot spring,` arms el are attached on one end to the collar 1 1., andat the other ends to the sleeve l2. Each arm le is preferably made ofspring metal and carries a weight 15 at its center on its outer side.@oiled springs 16 have their ends suitably attached to the weight. `Whenthe shaft is revolved the collar 11 will revolve the arms 14 and thecentrifugal action will cause the weights 15 to move radially wherebythe arms 14 will be extended or bowed is shown in dotted line in 1. Whenthe weights 'l5 are swungr outwardly the sleeve 1Q be drawn toward thecollar 13.

The sleeve l2 has a circumferential groove 17 in which a split rin 'i8is confined. The ringhas a radial port 19 connected with ay compressiongrease cup 20. The sleevel)J has radial ports 21 adapted to pass underthe port 19 when the sleeve is revolved and thus supply lubrication tothat portion ot the shaft about which the sleeve rotates.

A lever 22 has a slot 28 near its inner end receiving' a pin 2li wherebythe lever is pivotcd andA arranged `to. undergo longitudinal movement.The pin is carried by a guide plate 25 mounted on suitable supports 26and having stops 27 at its upper end limiting the swing` ci said lever,the pin 24 beingat' the inner end ot the plate. The inner end ot thelever has an eye 28 receiving' a bolt 29 and engaging in a il-shapednotch 30 formed in an ear 3l on the ring 18. lt will be seen that whenthe sleeve 1Q .is pulled toward the collar 13 the lever Qwill be swung`so that its outer end will be carried to the left as shown in dottedlines in Fig. l.

In the cotton feeding flue 32 I mount a rectangular trame 33 in which agate 34 is arranged to slide vertically. A flexible` connection such asa small cable 35 is connected to the gate and extends up over a pulley36. The pulley 36`i`s mounted at the upper end ot a` standard 37 whichstraddles the flue and is supported on a cross beam 38. The cable 35extends 'trom the pulley to the outer end ci the lever 22.

Under ordinary conditions when the machine to which the shaft 10 isattached is idle and no cotton is being fed, the parts will occupy theposition shown in full lines in Fig. l. However, when motion is impartedto the shaft the collar 11 will be reiin volved and the spring arms teof the governor will be thrown outward by reason of the centrifugalaction and the weights 15. The arms 111 will expand in opposition to thetension of the coiled springs 16, and thus will not reach their maximumexpansion ory extension until the shaft 10 has attained its normal speedof revolution. `When the governor is operating the sleeve 12 will hepulled toward the collar 13 and the ring 18 which does not rotate willbe carried with the sleeve; consequently the lever 22 will be swung onits pivot 24 so that its outer end will be moved tothe left. When thelever 22 is swung the cable 35 will be pulled, whereby the gate 34, willhe raised and the flue 32 opened so that the cotton may pass to themachine operating the shaft 10. So long as the machine continues tooperate under lnormal conditions the gate 34 will be held suspended andthe parts will occupy the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.However, should the machine cease to revolve the sha-ft 10 at its normalspeed, the governor would contract'thus sliding the sleeve 12 away fromthe collar 13 and swinging the lever 22 whereby the gate 34 would loelowered. If the gate was lowered but half way in the iiue the feed wouldbe cut down and it would be seen that the feeding of the cotton is thusregulated. Should the machine stop altogether the arms 14 would becompletely retracted by the coiled springs 16 and the lever 22 would heswung so as to entirely close the gatev 34 and thus cut off the feed ofcotton and prevent choking of the machine. It will he apparent that thedevice is entirely automatic in its operation and will be very sensitiveand quick to either reduce the feed or entirely cut off the same byclosing the gate 311. J ust as soon as the machine is again started thegovernor will operate, swing the lever 22 and raise the gate 341,whereby the tlue will be opened and the feed resumed.

Changes in the dimensions and modifications and alterations may he madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

"What I claim, is:

1. In an automatic feed control for cotton treating machinesv thecombination with the revolving shaft of a cotton treating machine andthe air suction flue leading to the said machine, of a cut off mountedin said flue, a centrifugal governor mounted on the shaft. and having asliding element, a lever` having connection with the sliding element o??'the governor. and a connection between the lever and the cut off foroperating said cut otfwhen the lever is swung by the goveiner.

2. In an automatic feed control for cotton treating machines, thecombination with a revolving shaft of the cotton treating inachine 4andthe air suction feeding flue leading to said machine7 of a gate arrangedto close said flue transversely, a centrifugal governor mounted on theshaft and including a sliding element, a pivoted lever having`connection at one end with the sliding element of the governor, and aconnection between the other end of the lever and the gate for elevatingsaid gate when the lever is swung. f

3. ln an automatic feed control7 a governor including expandingrevolving mem'- loers and a sliding element, a ring carried by thesliding` element of the governor, a lever having its inner end pivotedto the ring, a vertically sliding gate, a frame for supporting the gatein a cotton flue, and a flexible connection extending from the gate tothe outer end of the lever.

ln testin'iony whereof l affix mv signature.

enovna ofsracr

